New CDC Guidance Lays Out Essential Safety Precautions for Critical Infrastructure Workers

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued a new advisory clarifying steps that should be taken to decrease risk of COVID-19 infection in critical infrastructure workers—while also reconfirming that those workers “be permitted to continue work following potential exposure to COVID-19, provided they remain asymptomatic and additional precautions are implemented to protect them and the community. Interim Guidance for Implementing Safety Practices for Critical Infrastructure Workers Who May Have Had Exposure to a Person with Suspected or Confi­rmed COVID-19 defines potential exposure as being a household contact with someone with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 within 48 hours before that person became symptomatic. The CDC identifies critical infrastructure workers as those in federal, state, or local law enforcement; 911 call center employees; fusion center employees; hazardous material responders from government and the private sector; janitorial and other custodial staff; and workers (including contracted vendors) in food and agriculture, critical manufacturing, informational technology, transportation, energy, and government facilities. The entire advisory is available on the CDC’s COVID-19 dedicated webpage.